


New Identity

by Salmon_I



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Family, Gen, Humor, Post-Episode: s01e13 Recovering the Satellites
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 15:51:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19232251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salmon_I/pseuds/Salmon_I
Summary: Liz found herself staring when Rosa opened the door to Kyle’s apartment. Isobel had suggested that she change her look so that people would ask less questions, and it had been a good suggestion. She also knew Rosa would never let Isobel near her, so instead Kyle had taken her on a day trip to the city. Still, seeing her sister with chin length hair and colored contacts made her pause. She’d just gotten her sister back, and the changes were slightly unsettling in a way she wasn’t sure she wanted to examine in herself.“Well, I thought I was rocking the look but if you stare that long…” Rosa teased.“No, you look great.” Liz quickly reassured her. “Just… different.”





	1. New Identity

Liz found herself staring when Rosa opened the door to Kyle’s apartment. Isobel had suggested that she change her look so that people would ask less questions, and it had been a good suggestion. She also knew Rosa would never let Isobel near her, so instead Kyle had taken her on a day trip to the city. Still, seeing her sister with chin length hair and colored contacts made her pause. She’d just gotten her sister back, and the changes were slightly unsettling in a way she wasn’t sure she wanted to examine in herself.

“Well, I thought I was rocking the look but if you stare that long…” Rosa teased.

“No, you look great.” Liz quickly reassured her. “Just… different.”

“I’m not sold on the colored contact thing. So my new fake ID has my regular eye color on it. Which is fine, because apparently girls wear all sort of weird contacts these days. There was a set at the mall in Albuquerque that had spiderwebs on them. No joke.” She led her into the living room.

“So you got your new ID and everything?”

“Yep. Apparently Michael Guerin knew a guy and gave the name to Kyle. Never pictured a future where those two names would be linked, but here we are.” Rosa pulled out the New Mexico Driver’s License from her pocket. “I am - sort of - officially Romina Ortiz. And the picture is terrible, don’t laugh.”

Liz took the ID to look at. “Romina. That’s going to take some getting used to.”

“You’re telling me. Kyle tried using it after we got the card and I kept forgetting that was me.”

“New clothes?” Liz spotted the bags still on the couch as she handed the ID back to her.

“You know your high school boyfriend is a doctor now, right? He told me to just buy whatever, and gave me his card. Not smart.”

“Rosa, please tell me you didn’t max out Kyle’s credit card.”

“I may have maxed out two.”

“Rosa!”

“Just kidding! You should see your face right now.”

“Not funny.” Liz told her, but couldn’t stop the smile that stole across her face.

“It was a little funny, admit it.” Rosa poked at her, then seemed to remember something and pulled a phone out of her pocket. “Oh, and he got me a “smartphone”. I’m still trying to figure out how to use it, though.”

“Yah, Dad never really let us have cellphones in…” Liz started, but trailed off. They hadn’t been able to tell their father about Rosa’s resurrection. She would be introduced to him as a stranger with a resemblance to Rosa, nothing more. People didn’t come back from the dead, so what explanation could they offer? Liz latched onto the phone to change the subject. “I can show you how to work it.”

Rosa forced a smile. “We can exchange numbers. Apparently I have unlimited texts.”

“Kyle’s spoiling you.” Liz pulled out her phone.

“Are you jealous?”

“No.” Liz rolled her eyes. She began to type Rosa, but froze. She’d never had her sister’s name in her phone before, but it had still been so easy to start typing Rosa instead of the new name - new identity - her sister was assuming.

“Romina Ortiz. Do you need me to spell it?” Rosa teased her, lightening the mood.

“I am still a genius, I’ll have you know.”

“Yah, see, I remember your third grade spelling bee.”

“I was eight!” Liz protested. When Rosa laughed, she couldn’t help but join in. Rosa was still Rosa. Neither a new name or new look would change that.


	2. Breakfast of Champs

“Buenos dias, mija.”

“Oh, you’re up early.” Liz glanced over from the frypan she was using.

“I smelled your terrible healthy churro pancakes.” Arturo teased, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“They are pretty terrible.” Liz admitted, even as she plated the ones she was cooking.

“What’s the occasion?”

“I had some things I needed to talk to you about.”

“That sounds so serious.” Her father mentioned, gathering some condiments from the cabinet to take to the bar top.

“It’s about work.” Liz shut off the stove and brought the plates over to sit with him.

“I know you had that offer, did you decide to take it?”

“Actually, I’ve decided not to.”

Arturo frowned at the revelation, studying her. “You know I’ll be alright here, Liz. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“It’s true I want to help you, but that’s not the only reason.”

“Hm… and is Max Evans the other reason? I saw you two at the Gala.”

The reminder of Max made her heart seize painfully. “It may have a little something to do with Max, but it’s not all one thing. It’s you, and Max, and the attack on the lab.”

“You’ve never been one to let others intimidate you. You seemed ready to jump right back in after what happened at the hospital.” Arturo mentioned. “What changed that?”

She couldn’t exactly explain to her father that Max was possibly dead. That it had happened to bring Rosa back to life. That Isobel was trying to expand her powers to cure her twin, and she was trying to find a way through science to resuscitate a dead alien whose biology she still didn’t understand. She also didn’t want to lie to him. “I’m just debating about this new area of research. And I want to spend some time on some theories. See where it gets me.”

“And in the meantime?”

“That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to focus a bit more on my research, and work a little less at the cafe.” The next part was tricky, and she was still nervous about it.

“You just want to get out of wearing the antenna so much.” Arturo teased her.

Liz grinned. “I want to force someone else to wear antenna. There’s this… cousin of Kyle’s. Her name is Romina Ortiz, and she needs a job.”

“I’ve never heard of her..”

“She just… arrived in Roswell.”

Arturo glanced at her, then nodded. “I see.”

“She’s staying with Kyle, and for now he’s letting her stay rent free. She doesn’t want take advantage of that forever, though. So she really wants to find work. I think she’d be great here.”

“Well, then, I can’t wait to meet her.” Arturo told her.

Liz felt herself relax slightly, leaning to give him a sideways hug. “Gracias.”

“I trust your judgement, Liz.” He glanced down at their partly eaten meal. “Are we going to finish these?”

“We can try.” Liz teased, sitting back up. Together they took a bite, making faces as they swallowed it down. “It really is terrible.”

“Mm-hmm.” Arturo nodded, and they shared a grin as the light continued to brighten in the cafe as the sun rose outside.


	3. You're Probably Not What You Seem

Rosa added the last highlight onto the picture with a piece of white chalk. The Crashdown Cafe's special of the day sign now included sketches as well as words. A small flying saucer in one upper corner while little green men occupied the bottom.

"I don't think we've ever had fancier displays." Arturo spoke from behind her. "You're very gifted, Romina."

"Thank-you. I hope you don't mind." She never knew what to say when they spoke. A part of her kept hoping he'd tell her he knew the truth. That he wasn't failing to recognize her, even with her new look and ten years between them. She also knew it was better if he didn't. If he thought the resemblance was just… familial. Valenti's cousin - that had been a smart lie on Liz's part.

"Of course not, our specials have never sold so well." Arturo reassured her.

"Glad to help." She set the sign up, and rebagged the chalk to put away.

"Little green men. No antenna?"

"Antenna seem kind of dated."

"Are you kidding? They're classic. Every tourist with kids buys antenna for them."

"I'm not sure that's a winning argument." Rosa told him.

Arturo chuckled, studying the sign again. "Liz didn't mention you were an artist."

"...I guess it didn't come up." Rosa put the chalk in the drawer by the register and put her antenna headband on.

"Rosa was an artist too. She used to draw spaceships and little aliens after the UFO festival every year when she and Liz were little."

"....Rosa, that was your eldest daughter, right? The one a few of the regulars say I look like?" It was rarely a pleasant conversation. The lies surrounding her death had ruined whatever had been left of her reputation in the town. If she'd thought the town hated her before, it was nothing compared to how they hated her after her death. Yet Arturo only seemed to speak of her with affection. She wasn't sure she deserved it.

"That's right." Arturo nodded, watching her closely.

"Was she any good? Her artwork, I mean."

"She was very good. I kept every piece she ever drew for me."

Rosa found herself staring, eyes burning slightly at the confession. "Every one? You still have them?"

"Of course. Some days I like to look at them. To remember the good times."

"I'm sure that would mean the world to her. To know that."

A buzzer went off in the kitchen, breaking the moment. "Almost opening time." Arturo mentioned, heading toward the kitchen. "Ready?"

"Let's make some tourists in antenna happy." Rosa replied with more cheer than she felt.

"Go ahead and put on some music, I'll open the doors in a moment."

Rosa headed over to the jukebox, hesitating only a moment before hitting her selection.

_"Well I woke up in mid-afternoon cause that's when it all hurts the most._  
_I dream I never know anyone at the party and I'm always the host..."_

**Author's Note:**

> I remember reading somewhere that in S2 they were going to explore what it was like for Rosa to be an undocumented immigrant in New Mexico. Which makes sense - she can’t return as Rosa Ortecho because to the town Rosa is dead and would be 29 years old. It gave me all sorts of feels because that seems to hint nobody will know it's her that isn't in on the aliens - meaning neither Arturo or Maria will know. That’s painful to think about.
> 
> Please feel free to correct any of my Spanish. It comes from what I picked up from co-workers years ago and the show itself. My fluency level is - a few catch phrases and random words.
> 
> I also have other Roswell fics I haven't cross-posted here yet on my Tumblr: Salmonthestoryteller


End file.
